Pat Toomey could very well be defeated this year and not even have a chance to consider a nominee under the next president.

The way I see it, this is President Obama’s final embarrassment of the Republican party. He knows they won’t confirm a nominee and he has nominated someone that is exceedingly difficult to argue against on merit. So difficult, in fact, that Republicans will not offer a single substantive reason not to hold a hearing on his nomination or even a reason to vote against him.

Republicans in Congress evidently believe Donald Trump would make a better selection.

Related

“Republicans in Congress evidently believe Donald Trump would make a better selection.”

Republicans in Congress haven’t bothered to think that far. As Toomey baldly demonstrated, their thinking doesn’t extend beyond “Obama wants it so we don’t”.

GrafZeppelin127

Republicans know they won’t pay a political price for this. The media — all of it — will see to that.

Victor the Crab

Yup. They’ll just point out, in their own imitable way, that both sides do it. Thereby causing people to carry on without a cause in the world as Mitch McConnell and his cronies continue to obstruct and say “EAT SHIT AND DIE, OBUMMER BOY!!!” Final score: Republicans 1, Obama turd ball..

muselet

Nancy LeTourneau points out that Merrick Garland is thoughtful, highly-regarded and well-liked. The choice is extremely pragmatic and is an example of what she calls Barack Obama’s “conciliatory rhetoric as a ruthless strategy.”

Obama quoted Orrin Hatch—from when Garland was nominated to the DC Circuit—saying there was no objective reason not to confirm Garland and that he would be a consensus nominee for the Supreme Court who “would be very well supported by all sides.”

That will leave a mark.

The Senate Rs will bluster and howl, but they will come away from this looking smaller and pettier than ever. The big question is whether our glorious news media will bother to point that out.

–alopecia

JMAshby

The big question is whether our glorious news media will bother to point that out.

Too busy broadcasting live feeds of every Trump rally in their entirety.

muselet

True, alas.

–alopecia

Christopher Foxx

“The big question is whether our glorious news media will bother to point that out.”